


won't leave without you

by ariya167



Category: Zeroes Series - Scott Westerfeld
Genre: Angst, Dancing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Kissing, Takes Place During Swarm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 01:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16108361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariya167/pseuds/ariya167
Summary: She looked up at Kelsie, really looked at her, not just her bright green eyes or the blonde hair that framed her face like a halo, but also the bags below her eyes and the leftover mascara she hadn’t managed to wipe off and the nervous way she chewed on her lip, and before Chizara could stop herself, she kissed her.





	won't leave without you

“Dance with me!” Kelsie said, holding out a hand and bopping to the beat of the trance music pumping through their speakers. Chizara rolled her eyes, but smiled so Kelsie would know she wasn’t serious, and took her hand. 

She tried to copy how Kelsie was moving, since she had never been in a nightclub before the Dish and running lights didn’t give her much experience dancing, but soon gave up and just swayed along with the beat. 

Kelsie kept looking at her and smiling, like she wanted to make sure she was okay. Weirdly, Chizara was okay. The threat of Swarm still hung over their heads, but alone in the Dish with Kelsie, gloriously pain-free and Kelsie’s happiness stretched around her, it was silly, but she felt safe. 

The song ended, transitioning into a new bass-heavy melody, and Chizara danced with Kelsie until she was so tired she had to sit down. They sat together on the mattress, tangled together, and Chizara tried to concentrate on Kelsie’s soft breathing instead of the growing fear in the pit of her stomach.

“Is it weird that I’m not scared?” Kelsie asked, her fingers tightening around Chizara’s like she was afraid to let go.

She wanted to say no, or yes, or even that she didn’t know. Instead, she said, “What do you feel, if you’re not scared?”

Kelsie hesitated, and cautiously opened a feeling to her. Surprisingly, it was a sort of morbid acceptance, but Chizara didn’t flinch. The feeling was familiar, anyways, a darker version of ‘whatever happens, happens’. 

“Just . . .” Kelsie sighed, but continued: “If . . . if it’s really my destiny to become another Swarm, there’s no point in worrying about it now. You know?”

“Yeah,” Chizara said. She’d thought about the same thing before, if it was really her destiny to become Crash full-time, bring the whole world down. She’d keep fighting not to give in, even if it was her fate, but sometimes it was nice to know you had a purpose. Even if your purpose was to be a tech-wrecking demon. 

She figured Kelsie felt the same. They were pretty similar, the two of them.

“You know you don’t have to face this alone, right?” Chizara asked gently, trying to smile. “We’ll always be right behind you. I’ll always be right behind you.”

“Thanks, Zara,” Kelsie said, and the nickname made Chizara’s heart clench in a way that was not entirely unpleasant. She looked up at Kelsie, really looked at her, not just her bright green eyes or the blonde hair that framed her face like a halo, but also the bags below her eyes and the leftover mascara she hadn’t managed to wipe off and the nervous way she chewed on her lip, and before Chizara could stop herself, she kissed her.   
She jerked away the moment she realized what she was doing. “Sorry,” she said, trying not to look at Kelsie. If she rejected her, she was sure her heart would break.

But Kelsie was shaking her head. “No, no, I liked it. I . . . like you, Chizara. I really do.” Then Kelsie kissed Chizara back.

Her lips were soft and warm, and heat stirred in Chizara’s chest, not unlike the pure joy of crashing something. 

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” she said, and it was true. Never liked a girl, never really liked anyone like she liked Kelsie before. 

Kelsie laughed, a smile on her lips. “Me neither,” she said, and kissed her again.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi to me on [tumblr!](https://collective-optical-hijack.tumblr.com/)


End file.
